New Hire

The membership tier that applies to you is determined by the date you entered your current TRS membership; by your “grandfathered” status; and by the amount of service credit you had on Aug. 31, 2014.

• TRS Tier Placement Map
• TRS Benefits Handbook (pdf)

TRS membership participation begins on your first day of eligible employment with a TRS-covered employer (a public, state-supported educational institution in Texas).

• Employment Eligible for TRS Membership

Creditable compensation, for TRS benefit purposes, is defined as eligible salary and wages paid or payable to a member for services rendered during a school year (a 12-month period beginning Sept. 1 and ending Aug. 31).

The salary and wages must be payments of money for service, the right to receive the compensation must be earned or accrued proportionately as the service is rendered and must be paid in normal periodic payments.

• Compensation Eligible for TRS

TRS benefits are based on a formula established by state law. The formula is based on the number of years of service you have and the average of your highest 3 (for grandfathered members) or 5 (non-grandfathered members) annual salaries.

• Will My TRS Pension Be Enough?
• TRS Benefits Handbook (pdf) (See section “How Much Will My Service Retirement Benefit Be?”)

You can calculate your retirement benefits by using TRS’ Retirement Estimate Calculator tool.

• Retirement Estimate Calculator

Eligibility to receive a lifetime monthly annuity is based on a combination of your age, years of service, and the date your TRS membership began.

• TRS Benefits Handbook (pdf)

If you permanently terminate all employment with a TRS-covered employer, you may choose to withdraw (refund) the accumulated contributions in your member account.

If you’re vested in TRS, you may choose to leave your service and contributions in TRS.

• Requesting? a Refund Brochure (pdf)
• Refunding Your Member Account
• Should I Get a Refund? Video

​No, loans and partial withdrawals are not permitted.

• TRS Benefits Handbook (pdf)
• Refund Your Member Account?

The amount a member contributes is established by law and is a set percentage of creditable compensation. Your employer deducts the TRS member contribution from your salary on a pre-tax basis and forwards it directly to TRS. Member contributions are not taxed until you receive a distribution from TRS.

Note: If you’re an active employee of a public school or other educational district, regional education service center, or an open-enrollment charter school, you also contribute a percentage of your salary to TRS-Care, the retirees’ group health benefits program.

• TRS Benefits Handbook (pdf)
• Contribution Rates

No, members are not permitted to make additional contributions to TRS beyond the state-set percentage.

• TRS Benefits Handbook (pdf)

If you’re an active employee, you also contribute 0.65 percent of your salary to TRS-Care, the retirees’ group health benefits program.

This amount is: not a member contribution to the retirement plan; is not deposited into your member contribution account; is not reflected on your Statement of Account; and is non-refundable. An employee entitled to health care coverage through the Employees Retirement System (ERS) or the University of Texas (UT) or Texas A&M University (TAMU) systems is not required to make the TRS-Care contribution.

• TRS Benefits Handbook (pdf)
• Requesting a Refund Brochure

Most TRS-covered employers do not pay into Social Security. Contact a Social Security representative to determine your benefits.

• Social Security and TRS
• SSA1945 form Requirements
• Social Security Administration

Your PID is helpful when contacting our Telephone Counseling Center for verification purposes only. This can also be included on documentation provided to TRS to securely identify your account.

Note: Your PID is provided on all documentation mailed by TRS to the member.

Important: A TRS membership ID card is not related to your health insurance card and cannot be used in place of your health insurance card.

• Log in to MyTRS to access your PID?

MyTRS is an online access self-service portal for existing members to view their account balance, update personal information, navigate tools to help plan for retirement, and more.

Note: The following browsers are recommended to access all MyTRS features: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari.

• Welcome to MyTRS!

TRS-ActiveCare is a self-funded plan that offers a choice of several different benefits options. The plan’s medical and prescription benefits are handled through a third-party vendor (companies such as Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, UnitedHealthcare, etc.). Each plan is designed specifically for education employers and provides a variety of add-on benefit programs.

• TRS-ActiveCare Participants
• Coverage and Benefits Details?
• TRS Publications (TRS-ActiveCare)

Yes, you can add dependents to your TRS-ActiveCare plan.

You can make changes to your beneficiary by completing a TRS15 (Designation of Beneficiary) form or online through MyTRS. This form is available to be printed from our website (trs.texas.gov) and can be delivered to TRS by mail or fax.?

• Keep Your Information Current
• Naming a Beneficiary
• Designation of Beneficiary (Form TRS 15) (pdf)

Your annual statement includes information about your account, such as the taxable and non-taxable balance, service credit information, and retirement eligibility.

• Guide to Reading Your TRS Annual Statement

Please ensure to review your statement carefully. If any discrepancies are identified, please contact us.

• Contacts for TRS

Contributing to your TRS pension plan over an extended period allows you to invest years of service and earnings that will be available to you when eligible to retire. Members who have at least five years of membership service credit are eligible to retire and receive a lifetime monthly annuity when they meet the applicable age requirement. Other investments to consider to help secure your retirement savings are personal savings and social security.

Note: Approximately 96% of public-school employees do not pay into the social security system. Please confirm social security participation with your district.

• "Will My TRS Pension Be Enough?" Video

If you have active membership credit in more than one Texas public retirement system, you may be eligible to transfer and combine all your service credit to meet eligibility requirements when qualified to retire under TRS.

Participating Retirement Systems:

• Teacher Retirement System of Texas
• Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS)
• Judicial Retirement System of Texas (Plans One and Two)
• Texas Municipal Retirement System (TMRS)
• Texas County and District Retirement System (TCDRS)
• City of Austin Employees’ Retirement System
• City of Austin Police Retirement System
• El Paso City Employees’ Pension Fund
• El Paso Firemen and Policemen’s Pension Fund

Learn more:

• TRS Benefits Handbook (pdf)
• ERS/TRS Transfer Brochure
• FAQs: TRS-ERS Transfer

You may purchase service credit if you meet the eligibility requirements.

• TRS Service Credit Purchase Brochure (pdf)
• Service Credit Purchase?

Members may contact TRS by telephone, fax, email, or mail.

• Contacts for TRS
• What Account Information Can TRS Provide?

Changing your address on MyTRS offers the most reliable way to quickly amend your information with TRS. If you do not have the ability to log-into your MyTRS account, you can also submit the request in writing on the TRS358 - Change of Address Notification form.

Note: Members may also submit a written request in lieu of the form, with their signature and date.

• Keep Your Information Current

​